Charles Schwab, a giant in traditional finance to the tune of over $10.7 trillion in client assets, is making a move into crypto. The company broke out to offer direct spot trading for Bitcoin and Ether. This will see it enter the digital assets space much sooner than thought.
CEO Rick Wurster reported on the update at the Schwab July 18 earnings report. We learned that the new service will be rolled out within the next 12 months. This is an advance from the earlier April 2026 launch date. Charles Schwab is eager to deliver this service.
In Q2 2025, Schwab reported a 25% increase to $5.8 billion in revenue. This also saw the company identify crypto trading as a key long-term growth segment. Clients want to hold their crypto where they already trust their money, said Wurster. To build off that trust, not only to catch up but to lead.
Rising Crypto Demand With Confidence
Many of Schwab’s clients already put money into crypto through exchange traded products (ETPs). Charles Schwab caters to their needs, having over 20% of the industry’s crypto ETP market share. However, crypto still only accounts for $25 billion of their $10.8 trillion total client wealth.
That void is a sign of a large growth opportunity. At the same time, Schwab has seen traffic to the crypto section grow 400% in recent months. Also, per Wurster, we see that clients are looking to put their digital assets in the same portfolio as their stocks, bonds, and retirement accounts.
This is a move which puts Schwab head to head with crypto native giants like Coinbase. “If they’re using Coinbase for their crypto we’d like to see them come to Schwab”, Wurster plainly said. He emphasized the advantage Charles Schwab holds.
Charles Schwab Eyes Stablecoin Future, Partners With Trump Media
Along with spot trading, Schwab is looking at stablecoins as a future payment and transaction solution. Wurster reported that we are looking at both internal development and external partnerships to bring a stablecoin to market.
This ties into Schwab’s larger digital asset play. This year reported that the company joined forces with Trump Media Technology Group (TMTG) to run the Truth.Fi investment platform. As custodian for up to $250 million in TMTG assets, Schwab also puts forth tailored crypto services to a political audience. This marks Charles Schwab’s strategic interest.
This is an early move for Schwab which may secure them the lead in the field. Conservative investors looking for regulated crypto services could benefit.
Crypto And The Traditional Markets
Schwab joins in as U.S. regulators have eased post FTX regulations. The OCC, FDIC, and Federal Reserve put out new rules. These allow banks to go into crypto custody and trading without getting prior ok’s. A very wide open field Schwab jumped in, and Charles Schwab’s involvement in such regulatory changes widens their horizons.
Unlike other crypto exchanges which separate digital assets, Schwab is able to offer integrated account management. At Schwab, you can trade Bitcoin and Ethereum at the same time as stocks and bonds, all within one dashboard. This in turn reduces risk, hassle, and tax complexity.
As a result of Coinbase’s issue with declining trade volumes, Schwab’s entry is a serious challenge. With a large base of present investors and institutional credibility, Charles Schwab may put forth the next trend of crypto adoption. It could move into the mainstream of American finance.
